Watching the doctor pull the breathing tube out of Yurio's throat and replace it with a stent was nothing short of horrifying. Otabek had no idea someone's mouth could open far enough to have a camera, a woven metal tube, and a doctor's hands inside of it all at once. He just sat in the corner, eyes never leaving Yurio as the doctor roughly yanked and shoved at her tools, getting the stent in place in no time.

"He should wake up in the next hour or two, but he won't be aware of his surroundings." Dr. Kozar began checking Yurio's vitals as a nurse collected her tools and left without a word. "In about six hours the drugs should have run their course, he'll be more coherent then."

"Thank you." Otabek muttered, still in mild shock from witnessing the procedure.

"Have you slept at all?" Dr. Kozar took in the deep purple bags under Otabek's eyes as she scribbled down her findings on Yurio's chart. She didn't even let him respond, knowing the answer. "I'll order a cot for you. Sleep before he wakes up. It'll be better for him if someone's here and aware when he wakes up."

"Thank you." Otabek reiterated. It was true. He hadn't slept since Phichit, Yuuri and Viktor had left the day before. Yakov had hung around for a few hours before he had to go run his lessons. Mila and Georgi had been by briefly, but they'd shown up less than an hour before visiting time was over, so they'd been promptly kicked out. Otabek had also been asked to leave, and spent the night in the waiting room, too anxious to sleep. Once he'd been allowed back in Yurio's room, he'd begun to feel the sleep pulling at his mind, trying to lure him into the darkness.

Thinking back on it, Otabek probably hadn't slept in twenty four hours. And the three hours he'd gotten before that weren't exactly satisfying.

A few minutes later, an orderly came into the room, wheeling a folded up cot with him. Otabek helped to arrange it in the corner under the window, less than three feet from Yurio's bed. The room seemed so quiet without the constant groaning and puffing supplied by the ventilator that had previously been in the corner.

Otabek got himself settled, surprised at how comfortable the lumpy mattress and thin pillow seemed to be in his state of exhaustion. Even the stiff, semi-unraveling quilt seemed warm and comforting as he lay back, eyes on Yurio for all of thirty seconds before he was out cold.

To his delight, Otabek's sleep was dreamless and peaceful, ending with his eyes opening on their own schedule. He took in the room, still bright and quiet and as sterile smelling as ever. Yurio still looked to be asleep, so Otabek searched around for a clock. The one above the door read one o'clock, meaning he'd slept for about five and a half hours.

Otabek groaned and sat up, stretching and rubbing at his heavy eyes. He sat for a moment, relishing in the peace that settled upon the room. No one was crying. No one was yelling. No one was slamming doors. No one was arguing. No one was doing much of anything. Yurio was sleeping and Otabek was watching, glad to see his chest steadily rising and falling on its own accord.

"Yura…" Otabek breathed. He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to say. Sorry? No… he'd promised Yuuri he'd stop blaming himself. Get better? That just sounded stupid. After a few quiet moments of contemplation, it came to him. Something he'd wanted to say since that day in Barcelona when he'd rescued Yurio from the herd of crazy fangirls. "I love you." It was barely more than a whisper.

"Beka." Otabek nearly jumped out of his skin when Yurio's horse, quiet voice permeated the silence.

"Yura! I-" Otabek felt his cheeks going red as he rushed to Yurio's bedside.

"Don't." Yurio cracked a lazy smile, eyes half closed. "That's the fir-f-firs-f…" Yurio's brows drew together as he struggled to get his tongue to cooperate with his brain.

"Don't push yourself." Otabek gently grabbed Yurio's hand, rubbing gentle circles into the back of his it.

"B-be-k-k-ka." Otabek could see Yurio beginning to panic, confused and afraid of his own voice.

"Shh…" He tried to soothe, but internally, he was freaking out almost as much as Yurio seemed to be. "It'll get better if you calm down."

"I've n-nev-v-ver st-t-t-t-stuttered. W-w-why…?" Tears pooled in Yurio's eyes as he continued to battle with his mouth. He looked so vulnerable it made Otabek's heart shatter. Yurio had never looked this genuinely terrified.

"Yura, calm down." Otabek felt the sting behind his own eyes and pressed the call button, hoping a nurse or the doctor would show up before he lost his composer. They would be able to explain the situation instead of just standing there, being useless. "Take a breath, the more upset you get the worse it will be."

"Bu-b-b-but I-"

"Hello!" a nurse who was much too cheery for the situation came into the room just then, interrupting Yurio's already broken speech. "Oh, you're up, good!" Her voice was high pitched and happy, which was not what Yurio and Otabek needed. "I'll go get Dr. Kozar."

"Don't try to talk." Otabek brushed Yurio's bangs out of his eyes. "You'll only get more upset."

"B-b-bek-ka." Yurio gave in and let the tears roll down his cheeks, eyes closed.

"It's okay." Otabek got on his knees to be closer to Yurio, still rubbing circles into the back of his hand as he whispered assurances to the broken boy.

"I heard you were awake." Dr. Kozar was scribbling on her clipboard as she came in. "Are you in pain?" She immediately asked when she looked up to see Yurio's tears.

"N-n-n-n-no." Yurio's tears came faster when he couldn't even get a single syllabled word out.

"I see." Dr. Kozar looked disappointed as she walked up to Yurio's side. "Your brain was deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time, Yuri. It's very common to develop speech impediments after trauma like this."

"Will it be permanent?" Otabek asked on Yurio's behalf. He knew it would take Yurio a lot longer to say it, and that he would want to know the answer.

"Most likely, no." Dr. Kozar jotted down some notes as she replied. "I'll recommend you to a speech therapist upon your release for a proper evaluation. For now, try to relax. Getting frustrated will only make it worse."

"Thank you."

"Otabek, may I speak with you in the hall for a moment?" Dr. Kozar asked with a gentle smile.

Otabek looked to Yurio, who was still fighting tears. His eyes looked so different from the soldier-like ones he'd fallen in love with all those years ago; it felt like a heavyweight boxer was punching him in the stomach every time he saw them. "Will you be okay?"

"Y-yes." Yurio didn't look too sure of his answer, but Otabek knew that was because he didn't want to be babied. That wish would certainly go unanswered as soon as Viktor, Yuuri, Yakov, or Nikolai were to show up, so Otabek decided to grant it for just a moment.

"Does Yuri have any blood relatives nearby?" Dr. Kozar asked once the door was shut behind the two.

Otabek's brows drew together. "He's never said anything about his parents, he lives between Viktor and Yuuri's house and his coach's house as far as I know. His grandfather is his legal guardian, but he lives in Moscow, why do you ask?"

"Have you been in touch with his grandfather? He'll be needed to sign discharge papers and set up treatment plans."

"We've been communicating, but he's on a cruise right now and won't be able to catch a plane back for the next few days. He's kind of in the middle of the ocean. Would he be able to pass off that responsibility to Yakov or Viktor and Yuuri? They'll most likely be the ones handling any treatment anyway since Yuri live here."

"If we were to obtain verbal consent, yes."

"Okay, I'll talk to him, who should I have him call?"

"Give him my cell number, it will be easier than playing tag with my office phone."